Home › Compare › ActiveCampaign vs MailerLite
ActiveCampaign vs MailerLite: cost and features compared (2026)
Last verified against official pricing pages · USD, monthly billing, excluding tax
Prices change often. Every price here was checked against the platform's official pricing page on the date shown, but plans, promos and taxes vary. Always confirm on the official site before you buy or switch. Not financial advice.
Quick answer
- Basic newsletter: MailerLite is cheaper at 5,000, 10,000 and 25,000 subscribers; they cost the same at 1,000 subscribers.
- With automations: MailerLite is cheaper at 5,000, 10,000 and 25,000 subscribers; they cost the same at 1,000 subscribers.
- Paid newsletter: only MailerLite has a verified option at every size we checked.
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Cost at 1k, 5k, 10k and 25k subscribers
Basic newsletter (no automations)
| Subscribers | ActiveCampaign | MailerLite | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $19 (Starter) | $19 (Comfort) | Same |
| 5,000 | $99 (Starter) | $49 (Comfort) | MailerLite by $50/mo |
| 10,000 | $189 (Starter) | $89 (Comfort) | MailerLite by $100/mo |
| 25,000 | $489 (Starter) | $179 (Comfort) | MailerLite by $310/mo |
With automations (welcome sequences, drips)
| Subscribers | ActiveCampaign | MailerLite | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $19 (Starter) | $19 (Comfort) | Same |
| 5,000 | $99 (Starter) | $49 (Comfort) | MailerLite by $50/mo |
| 10,000 | $189 (Starter) | $89 (Comfort) | MailerLite by $100/mo |
| 25,000 | $489 (Starter) | $179 (Comfort) | MailerLite by $310/mo |
Paid newsletter (5% of subscribers pay $8/mo)
| Subscribers | ActiveCampaign | MailerLite | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | n/a | $48.40 (Comfort) | MailerLite (only option in our verified data) |
| 5,000 | n/a | $196 (Comfort) | MailerLite (only option in our verified data) |
| 10,000 | n/a | $383 (Comfort) | MailerLite (only option in our verified data) |
| 25,000 | n/a | $914 (Comfort) | MailerLite (only option in our verified data) |
Switching? ActiveCampaign → MailerLite cost · MailerLite → ActiveCampaign cost · Best platform for your needs
Cheapest plan on each platform that covers the list size and required features. Paid totals = plan + platform cut + Stripe card fees (2.9% + $0.30 per payment, estimate) + Stripe's 0.7% Billing fee on recurring payments where confirmed (beehiiv, MailerLite, Ghost, Buttondown, Substack, AWeber and Flodesk); not added for GetResponse (not confirmed); Kit's 3.5% + $0.30 is all-in. How we model fees. "limited" = feature is capped on that plan. Run your exact numbers →
Key differences
| ActiveCampaign | MailerLite | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | no free plan | free up to 250 subscribers |
| Fee on paid subscriptions | not verified (not listed on the official pricing pages) | 0% platform cut + Stripe fees |
| Cheapest plan with automations | Starter (from $19/mo) | Comfort (from $12/mo) |
| Cheapest plan with own domain | Plus (from $59/mo) | Comfort (from $12/mo) |
| Cheapest plan without platform branding | Plus (from $59/mo) | Comfort (from $12/mo) |
| Plans | Starter, Plus, Pro, Enterprise | Free, Comfort, Power |
| Prices verified | 2026-10-20 | 2026-10-20 |
Who each is best for
ActiveCampaign is best for
Businesses that live on automation (multi-step journeys, scoring, CRM-style follow-up) and are happy to pay more per contact than newsletter-first tools.
- Priced by contact count in bands (1,000, 2,500, 5,000, 7,500, 10,000, 15,000 ... 50,000); above 50,000 you request a quote. No free plan, only a 14-day trial. source
- The pricing page shows yearly billing; monthly billing costs more (e.g. Starter at 1,000 contacts: $19/mo monthly vs $180/yr), as shown on the official checkout page. source
- Monthly sends = 10× contacts on Starter and Plus, 12× on Pro, 15× on Enterprise; extra sends cost $0.005 each. source
- Multi-step automation on every plan. Landing pages on your own domain and turning off ActiveCampaign branding start at Plus. source
MailerLite is best for
Budget-conscious senders who want automations, landing pages and their own domain at a low monthly price.
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FAQ
Is ActiveCampaign cheaper than MailerLite?
It depends on your list and needs. In our data (monthly billing, 1,000 / 5,000 / 10,000 / 25,000 subscribers): basic newsletter — MailerLite is cheaper at 5,000, 10,000 and 25,000 subscribers; they cost the same at 1,000 subscribers. With automations — MailerLite is cheaper at 5,000, 10,000 and 25,000 subscribers; they cost the same at 1,000 subscribers. Paid newsletter — only MailerLite has a verified option at every size we checked. Prices verified 2026-10-20.
Which has the bigger free plan, ActiveCampaign or MailerLite?
ActiveCampaign: no free plan. MailerLite: free up to 250 subscribers. Free plans have feature limits — see the comparison table.
Do ActiveCampaign and MailerLite take a cut of paid subscriptions?
ActiveCampaign: not verified (not listed on the official pricing pages). MailerLite: 0% platform cut + Stripe fees.
What do ActiveCampaign and MailerLite cost at 10,000 subscribers?
On monthly billing, a basic newsletter costs $189/mo on ActiveCampaign Starter and $89/mo on MailerLite Comfort. With automations: $189/mo (ActiveCampaign Starter) vs $89/mo (MailerLite Comfort).
Sources
- ActiveCampaign pricing (checked 2026-10-20)
- ActiveCampaign: activecampaign.com/signup/?code=ac&tier=starter&contacts=1000¤cy=USD
- ActiveCampaign: help.activecampaign.com/hc/en-us/articles/10918125380764-About-email-send-limits-and-overage-fees
- ActiveCampaign: help.activecampaign.com/hc/en-us/articles/206775170-How-to-turn-off-ActiveCampaign-branding-in-your-account
- MailerLite pricing (checked 2026-10-20)
- MailerLite: paid subscriptions
- MailerLite: mailerlite.com/substack-alternative
- Stripe pricing (card-fee estimate)
- Stripe Billing pricing (0.7% on recurring payments)
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